Snow drifted softly through the air, each flake glimmering in the cold light. The scene was breathtaking—serene, almost poetic—like a calm winter morning.
But to those watching, this beauty carried only danger.
Every observer present was at least Lieutenant level, and all could sense the killing intent hidden beneath the snowfall.
Each flake that touched the ground blossomed into a crystalline ice flower.
An overwhelming chill burst forth, saturating the air with frozen spirit particles.
At the center of the storm stood Shimo, completely still, as the frost crept up around him. Facing Hitsugaya Tōshirō's strongest technique, Shimo didn't even attempt to dodge.
"Hyōten Hyakkasō"—the ultimate ability of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru—manipulated the weather itself.
When snowflakes landed upon the enemy, ice flowers would bloom upon their body, freezing them solid from within.
Seeing the snow settle on Shimo's shoulders, Hitsugaya's tense expression eased slightly.
"I didn't think I had a chance left," he muttered, "but since you're arrogant enough not to move—then prepare yourself.
Bloom, ice flowers!"
At his command, the frost raced across the ground and surged upward, engulfing Shimo completely.
Through the thickening layers of ice, Shimo's expression did not change. A faint smile curved his lips.
For some reason, that smile made the young Captain's heart tremble.
"This feeling… this foreboding—"
He clenched his teeth and raised Hyōrinmaru once more, preparing to strike again, even though Shimo was frozen like a statue.
Nearby, Kuchiki Byakuya's hand hovered over his sword hilt. His blade quivered, ready to be drawn—but he held himself back.
A quiet voice within told him to trust Shimo.
Even if the situation looked hopeless, he knew this man's power far too well.
Komamura's deep voice rumbled from under his helm.
"Lieutenant Shimo has overestimated himself. The battle is finished."
Byakuya's gaze flickered but he said nothing.
Cracks echoed through the air—
Krrrkkk—!
The towering ice pillar stretched to the sky, hundreds of ice blossoms frozen mid-bloom.
It pierced through the dark clouds above, scattering light across the battlefield.
Hitsugaya exhaled in relief.
"It's over… looks like I—"
Crk!
A sharp, brittle sound split the silence.
Hitsugaya's pupils contracted violently.
"No… impossible! Someone frozen by Hyōten Hyakkasō—how could they—"
The cracks multiplied like spiderwebs.
Shards began to fall, glittering in the cold light.
He quickly thrust Hyōrinmaru forward, shouting:
"Sennen Hyōrō! (Thousand-Year's Ice Prison)"
The tip of his blade pierced the massive glacier, and the surrounding moisture instantly condensed into floating shards of ice. The shards swarmed around the column, reinforcing it with layer upon layer of frozen armor.
Hitsugaya intended to trap Shimo permanently—sealing him beneath countless layers of reforged ice.
But then…
Renji frowned. "Wait—why is it snowing again?"
There were no clouds now—only the great pillar of ice reaching toward the sky. Yet snow began to fall once more, gentle but endless.
The spectators exchanged uncertain glances.
"Did Hitsugaya still have reiryoku left?" someone murmured.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. His hand pressed down on Senbonzakura's hilt, tension in every motion.
He would not stand by if Shimo truly fell here.
As Shimo himself had once said—"Rules are broken only once, or forever."
And as the current Head of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya was prepared to make that choice again.
Then a sharp gasp—
Renji reached out to catch a single falling flake.
"—!"
Warm blood splattered across the ice.
"Everyone, get back!" Renji roared. "Now!"
The flake had sliced open his palm.
In that moment, the truth became clear—
these weren't ordinary snowflakes.
"Blood…?" Kira whispered. "What kind of snow is this?"
The air grew even colder. Each flake shimmered faintly, pulsing with restrained energy.
Komamura's heavy voice rumbled uneasily. "This snow… feels wrong."
Byakuya's gaze sharpened, his tone low.
"Could it be… the same technique he used to alter Senbonzakura's release back then?"
He stared at the reinforced pillar. Inside, Hitsugaya's expression hardened.
No movement, no reiatsu. Absolute stillness.
But that sound—
The faint, rhythmic cracking—
It came not from within the ice, but from above.
As new flakes settled upon the frozen column—
KRRAAAACK!
The world erupted.
A violent explosion of wind and spiritual energy shattered the glacier into a thousand shards, sending a storm of frost and light into the sky.
Hitsugaya stumbled backward, eyes wide in disbelief.
And from within the blizzard, a voice spoke lightly—
"Good thing I reinforced myself with spiritual pressure," Shimo said, brushing frost from his uniform. "Otherwise, that might've been troublesome."
He stretched his arms and smiled. "So, Shiro—what do you think? Beautiful snow, isn't it?"
Hitsugaya swallowed hard, lowering Hyōrinmaru. "What… what was that just now?"
Shimo smiled faintly.
"It's simple. While you cast Hyōten Hyakkasō, I released a sword technique of my own."
"A sword technique…?" Hitsugaya's throat felt dry. "Does it have a name?"
"Of course."
Shimo raised his hand, palm open toward the falling snow.
"Limitless Sword: Wuji Hisetsu (Boundless Secret Snow)."
Hitsugaya fell silent, the weight of defeat sinking in. He had fought with everything—his full Bankai—and still couldn't even make Shimo draw his blade fully.
He managed a bitter smile. "So even now, you're on another level…"
"Do you still have any strength left?" Shimo asked quietly.
"If not, I'll be taking Hinamori back to the Senzaikyū. The guards are already on their way."
Hitsugaya's shoulders sagged. He lowered his gaze, concealing the turmoil in his eyes.
...
Byakuya appeared in a flicker of shunpo before Renji, Kira, and Hinamori.
"Release the prisoner. Return with us to face judgment."
Komamura coughed softly behind his helm, trying to mask his awkwardness.
He'd doubted Shimo from the start—and now regretted it deeply.
Still, his mask—Shimo called it a "wooden bucket"—thankfully hid the embarrassment on his face.
At Shimo's request, Byakuya and Komamura escorted Renji's group to the First Division for disciplinary measures.
Shimo himself carried Hinamori back to the Fourth Deep Cell of the Senzaikyū.
No one objected. They all knew—fighting him now would be meaningless.
"Let's go, Hinamori," Shimo said gently.
She kept her head down, her voice hollow. Hope had long since fled her eyes.
The only light she clung to now was the name Aizen.
Under escort, Hinamori was returned to her cell.
The Repentance Cell had been destroyed in the escape, and the guards suggested transferring her to another.
Shimo refused.
"No. Take me back to the same one."
The guards complied. Inside, shattered stone and charred walls bore witness to the earlier battle.
"Hinamori," Shimo said calmly, "go inside."
She obeyed wordlessly.
"To prevent another incident before the execution date," Shimo continued, "I'll reinforce the seal myself."
He raised his hand, voice resonating with power.
"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan! (Five-Pillared Iron Weights)"
Five massive columns of spiritual energy materialized, slamming down into place, sealing the chamber entirely.
The overwhelming pressure in the air made even the guards tremble.
"S-Shimo-sama, this is…?"
"Bakudō #75," he said lightly. "Normally it's used to restrain enemies. I simply altered its structure to serve as a wall. The principle is the same."
The guards stared in disbelief.
Who used Gochūtekkan like that?
They were meant to crush enemies, not build fortresses!
"How are we even supposed to retrieve her for the execution…?" one muttered under his breath.
Shimo smiled faintly. "The pillars will disperse naturally on the day of sentencing. Their reishi composition simply decays slowly."
The guards bowed deeply. "Understood, Lieutenant Kyōraku. Thank you for your assistance."
As they finished speaking, a faint chime echoed in Shimo's mind—
[Ding!]
[Task Complete. Reward Granted.]
[Congratulations, Host—New Ability Acquired: "Shared Soul Barrier."]
Shimo's mood brightened at once.
"Well then, I'll take my leave. The Sekkiseki air here is stifling."
Indeed, the oppressive reishi suppression of the prison was like breathing underwater.
For ordinary Shinigami, it was suffocating.
Even Shimo felt mildly constrained, though his power easily resisted it. The guards' uniforms, he suspected, were reinforced to resist the Sekkiseki's effects—allowing them to survive within the Senzaikyū.
Exiting the prison, Shimo turned his gaze northward, toward the distant Gotei 13 barracks.
"So much reiatsu clashing in the air…"
He smirked faintly, his tone almost amused.
"Ah, what a lively atmosphere Seireitei has become."
---------------------------///
Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!